MUSKEGON, Michigan (November 14th)
– The Lumberjacks are excited to announce the hiring of former Detroit
Red Wings Goaltender and NHL veteran, Manny Legace, to take over the
goaltending coaching responsibilities for the organization.
Legace,
the Toronto, Ontario native, spent 11 seasons playing in the National
Hockey League, with six of them being with the Detroit Red Wings
(1999-2004, 2005-06). He also spent three seasons playing with the St.
Louis Blues (2006-09) and one season each with the Los Angeles Kings
(1998-99) and Carolina Hurricanes (2009-10). Legace won a Stanley Cup
with the Red Wings during the 2001-02 season and accumulated 191 career
victories in the NHL, with 126 coming as a member of the Red
Wings. Legace says that the best moments of his career was when he was a
member of the Detroit Red Wings.
“Winning
the Stanley Cup in 2002 and making the Red Wings roster after camp in
2000 were the best moments of my professional career,” Legace
said. “When (General Manager) Ken Holland called me up and told me to
make a home for myself in Detroit, it was the best feeling for me
because all my hard work and dedication to making myself better had paid
off in the end.”
Legace
is no stranger to Lumberjacks Head Coach Jim McKenzie, who played
against him during his 15 seasons in the National Hockey
League. McKenzie praises the Lumberjacks for hiring Legace to the
coaching staff due to his experience and wealth of knowledge that he
brings to the sport of hockey.
“Manny
Legace is a class act on and off the ice, and he played the game of
hockey the way it should be played,” said McKenzie. “Manny (Legace)
brings forth experience and knowledge to the game that will help our
goaltenders in the long run, and he is a great asset that will also
benefit the team overall.”
In his
short time in Muskegon, Legace has been impressed with the Lumberjacks
organization as a whole in terms of the players, front office staff, and
facility upgrades. Legace says that the Lumberjacks have already gone
above and beyond in terms of conveying the brand of hockey they want to
establish.
“I
have only been here (in Muskegon) for a few days and from the first
moment in stepped into the building, I was blown away by the facilities
they had to offer,” said Legace. “The Mervis family runs a first-class,
professional organization that caters to the needs of the team and fans
of the Muskegon Lumberjacks.”
Legace
will split time between Muskegon and the Springfield Falcons of the
American Hockey League, an affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets, where
he also serves as a goaltender coach.
“Manny
Legace is a great addition to the Muskegon Lumberjacks
organization. His wealth of knowledge and experience playing the game of
hockey will be a valuable asset to the team,” said Lumberjacks Owner,
CEO, and General Manager Josh Mervis. “The hiring of Manny Legace shows
that the Lumberjacks are committed to hiring quality people to teach our
players how to be successful young men in college, their professional
careers, and life overall.”
(Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment